Note by Note

 Hello friends! It's been a long while since I've posted, but I thought I would jump over and share some blatantly honest thoughts with you all.  I've been struggling with so many emotions over the last few months. Fear. Peace. Joy. Hope. There are so many things I want to do, yet the question of if I'll get to do them. There are so many things I want to be, yet I wonder if I'll ever measure up.  I want to be a writer. I want to write stories that will change the world, that will shake a person to their core, and point them to my Savior. Yet there's the little niggle of fear in the back of my mind, the whisper that says, "You'll always be a fraud. You'll always have to put on a show." I want to achieve Finals in the National Bible Bee Competition. Yet there's the surmounting pressure that says, "You'll never be regarded as a real semi-finalist or finalist. You're not as spiritual as the other semi-finalists. You're not at t...

 Hello, friends! Has it been a month already?? Between normal responsibilities and studying for the National Bible Bee I've had very little time to sit down and write lately. However, today I am pleased to present to you my latest Scriptorium submission! I hope you enjoy it! Tally ho! Rachael Anne 2 Corinthians 12:5-10: Christ in Me Broken. That was all I could think as I stared at my hands.  I had spent a good amount of an evening playing volleyball with the youth at my church. When it was my turn to serve I sent the ball over the net at the same moment I felt a searing pain in my wrist. I shook it off, chalking it up to my puny girl hands, and played the rest of the evening. Little did I know that two days later I would find damage to my hands, wrists, and shoulders. As I stared down at my hands, willing them not to hurt, I couldn’t help asking the Lord “Why?” Why me? Why do I have to have such painful hands? Why does my body rebel at sports or lifting heavy things? Why can’...

  Good Friday, everyone! And it is. The Friday right before Easter, the day we remember one of the most important events in human history. At Christmas we remember a life. On Good Friday we remember a death. We know Easter is coming. We know that Jesus doesn't stay dead. We know that there will be light and joy when Sunday finally comes. But today, it's only Friday. There is no hope. For the disciples it was all over.  They were hiding in the dark. Maybe we'll be next. Peter had denied Jesus. Can you imagine his guilt? Judas had betrayed him. He couldn't live with that knowledge. And Jesus... Jesus was alone. Utterly, completely forsaken.  We can't imagine what it was like to be the Son of God in His moments on the cross. He had always existed with God the Father's presence. He didn't know what it was like to be separated from the Father even for a moment. But God the Father is all holy. He is all good. He cannot stand to be in the presence of sin. And so, i...

Photo found on Canva Hello, y'all! Happy Saturday! It's been a rough week for yours truly and I wanted to pop over to jot down some thoughts.  Think of the strongest person you know. Maybe it's your mom. Maybe it's an older sibling or a close friend. Maybe it's yourself. Maybe you're the parent or older siblings. Do you feel strong? As the oldest of four kids, I know it's a hard label to live up to. There seem to be some unspoken rules sometimes, rules like "Watch out for the younger ones" and "Be a good example." And I'm not saying that's a bad thing; sometimes it's just awfully hard. For me, it's been especially hard the last few days.  Some things have been going on in my life and I'm still trying to understand what all is happening. But the long and short of it is this: I'm fearful. Not the "there's a monster under my bed!" scared or the familiar "sharks and spiders" scared. No, this is ...

My morning devotions during the Bible Bee Season! A raindrop smacks against the windowpane, followed by another. And another. Oh, make that a dozen more. The sky seems layered with dark clouds, each one grumbling about their own personal problem. "My poof aches." "Can you believe how warm it's getting down there?" "Argh, the sun is right above me!" One by one they send their fury down in a cacophony of wet droplets that dampen the ground and melt the snow. Happy Friday, y'all! Has anyone else noticed my affection for word pictures? In case you haven't guessed, yes, it is raining at my house today, and I'm so glad that I get to curl up at the dining room table with a stack of notebooks and some new pens.  Spring is coming! I can hardly wait. It signals the end of the school year, the start of summer, and the beginning of the Bible Bee season! For me it's also an end of sorts. This summer is my last summer before I graduate from high scho...

I take a sip of peppermint tea and fight off leftover sleepiness. My bonnet slides over my forehead, completely obscuring my field of vision on all sides. The clouds are layered, the snow is melting, and all is cold and quiet this fine March morning. Except, perhaps, for the random truck outside my house. Good morning, friends, and welcome to another day! It's days like these, when I'm armed with a notebook, my trusty fuzzy socks, and my devotion time with God, that I feel I can take on anything that comes my way.  Today, I'm choosing joy.  Yesterday started out almost exactly like today. Writing in my bonnet and socks, spending a few hours on school, and daydreaming about stories. But at some point in the afternoon, I crashed.  Have you ever spent an extended amount of time in the company of a person who absolutely cannot - will not - talk about anything positive? And after you've tried every other option - talking peaceably, offering advice, trying to fix whatever is ...

Good morning, friends! I know that it's only Tuesday, but I wanted to share something that's been on my heart. Yesterday I stumbled across a music video that reminded me of the persecuted church. We don't often find ourselves facing opposition for our faith, do we? We live our lovely, peaceful lives in the States; we tithe to help Christians under fire; and, at least in my case, we attend church every Sunday without thinking about the people who don't have churches.  I was reminded that every day, all over the world, people are coming under fire simply for believing in Jesus. They don't have their own copy of God's Word while I have at least ten in my house. They can't gather with other believers while I see them every week. It's sobering, isn't it? Have you ever stopped to think about it? Do you know if you would be willing to die for Jesus' name? Yesterday, I had to admit I don't know.  I am not brave. So many times I've been given the ...